Page 3 of The Study of Fire
“Yes.” He conceded the match.
The crowd cheered as the trio’s weapons were withdrawn, and Janco helped Valek to his feet. There were also someboosand jeers from the onlookers as coins were exchanged. No surprise the soldiers had bet on the outcome of the fight.
Jancowhoopedand danced around the training yard. Big grins spread on Maren’s and Ari’s faces as they high-fived in celebration.
Even though he’d lost the match, Valek couldn’t help being proud of the trio. They’d worked as a true team, helping to maximize their individual strengths at the right time, keeping in sync with the others, and not trying to dominate. It was a rare dynamic, and he doubted another set of three people could achieve the same results.
Once Valek caught his breath, he projected his voice and addressed the crowd. “Congratulations to my opponents!” Another round of cheers sounded. “They have earned the right to become my seconds-in-command. However, if they don’t want the job, they can choose any position in Ixia, with the exception of being Commander or a general.”
A few laughs rippled through the onlookers. Maren’s expression turned thoughtful.
“And there are new rules for my challenge. If you want to become my second-in-command, you must beat the current ones before you can face me. You have two choices. You can attack en masse, but with a maximum ratio of two against one. If your group wins against the seconds, you can fight me. The maximum ratio for our fight is three against one.”
“If we beat your seconds and you, what happens? What’s the prize?” a soldier called out.
“You will replace my seconds,” Valek said.
“If six of us earn the right to fight you, what then?” another asked.
“I will fight each team of three separately. If you all defeat me, then I’ll have six new seconds.”
A murmur rose, and Valek raised his voice. “The second option is a one-on-one challenge. In that case, you must beat one of my seconds for the chance to fight me.” This would weed out those who weren’t ready to face Valek, saving him some time and aggravation. “Win against me and you’ll replace the second who you beat.”
“Two against one or one-on-one, it doesn’t matter with this group of soldiers,” Janco muttered as excited conversations broke out among the onlookers. “No one is getting through us. Valek’s gonna be bored.”
“Nothing’s impossible,” Ari said.
The noise from the various discussions died down as the Commander strode over to them.
“An impressive fight,” the Commander said to the trio. “Congratulations.” He shook each of their hands. Then he turned to Valek and lowered his voice. “That’s an interesting set of new rules you created. Have them posted in the barracks to avoid confusion. And add the unspoken rules as well.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Unspoken?” Janco asked.
“Like the ones I set for our fight. Basically, no brawling,” Valek explained. “Also, we can refuse a challenge. Or rather, reschedule. There are times when it’s inconvenient or you’re recovering from an injury. Eventually, you’ll fight the challenger, but you’ll have flexibility as to when.”
By this time, the crowd had disbursed, everyone returning to work or to their training sessions.
“What’s next?” Ari asked.
“The three of you will move out of my corps housing. There are suites down the hall from mine. You can each have one or share. Some have multiple bedrooms.”
“I’ll take my own,” Maren said. “I spend way too much time with these guys. I don’t need to hear them bickering all night long.”
“Ari and I will share,” Janco said without consulting his partner.
“What will our jobs entail?” Ari asked.
“Pretty much what you’ve been doing this past year,” Valek said. “But you’ll report directly to me instead of Kenda. And you’ll get to be in charge if I’m out of town on a mission.”
“What about our spy training?”
“I’d like you to finish it. While you already have a great deal of experience and knowledge, you can still learn some new skills in the art of subterfuge.”
As the trio went off to celebrate, Valek grabbed his cape and sword and walked back to the castle with the Commander. Well, Valek might have limped a bit. His left ankle was still sore from Janco’s blow.
The castle’s asymmetrical shape really stood out among the rest of the buildings in the complex. Valek automatically scanned the canted roofs and cornices, seeking any hidden intruders.
